BNP strongly opposes move for gas, power tariff hike

Dhaka – BNP on Friday threatened to take tougher action programmes if the government raises the gas and power tariffs further, unb news agency reported.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi issued the threat at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.“People will fall into a deep trouble as they’ll lose their buying capacity, if the power and gas prices are hiked. It’ll also affect production in agriculture and industries,” he said.
Rizvi further said, “I, on behalf of our party, strongly urge them (govt) to shelve this anti-people plan. Otherwise, BNP together with people will take to the streets with harsher action programmes.”
Though the government has decided to lower fuel oil prices following its fall in the international market, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid on Wednesday said the tariffs of power and gas will be revised.
Earlier on August 27 last year, the government raised retail power prices by 2.97 percent and gas prices by 26.29 percent.
Strongly opposing the government’s latest plan to hike the prices of power and gas, Rizvi said the government is going to raise the tariffs of the important utility services to plunder more public money. “After ruining all the sectors through plundering and widespread corruption, the regime is now trying to double the tariffs of gas and electricity only to widen its corruption scope.”
He alleged that the government is trying to control the media by imposing an unofficial curfew.
Mentioning that the police have now established its full control and authority on the state, the BNP leader alleged that police and Rab have now turned into killing-loving institutions.
Rizvi said the government has given the police unlimited power to suppress people who want to raise their voice against it.
He also condemned the showing if Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman arrested by implicating him in a violence case on Wednesday.